Considering race in adoption: Does it matter?

When considering adoption, how much thought or emphasis is placed on race? Well, that may have very much to do with the family planning on doing the adopting. To the adoption agencies who are supposed to be color blind because of a federal law, however, things may be about to change. A recent report on the subject, however, claims that downplaying race during adoption--as these agencies are instructed to do--ultimately underserves the children being adopted.

The report studied a decade of material concerning children of color adopted into white households. Among the findings were that white parents were not prepared for future challenges of raising a child of a different race, and that both social workers and state agencies were afraid to even bring up the subject of race with prospective adoptive parents.

The report is strongly suggesting the federal law, known as the Multiethnic Placement Act, be changed to allow agencies receiving federal funding to consider race and culture when choosing parents for foster care. According to one interviewee, Shannon Gibney--who seems to have put it best--"...you can't just say we're all human or love will be enough." The downside of letting race play a role in adoption? In the eyes and experience of some, foster children wait longer for adoption. This is sure to be a controversial topic setting the Internet from abuzz to aflame. Your thoughts? Especially if you've adopted a child of a different race or culture, I'd love to hear about your experience. Is the law a help or a hindrance--or does it even matter?

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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)

For me, race wouldn't be an issue; then again, when the time comes, I will be looking to adopt an older child who just needs a good loving place to call home and never have to be ripped away from it again.

However, I do think it is an issue for some. Having nannied for a family of a different race, I had to learn things about care that I never even considered: hair and skin care, even exposure to different elements. Now, I would think that any parent (adoptive or natural) would take the best care of their children. But I do also thik that there may be issues that they would never even consider. From the simple: best way to comb the hair to the more complex skin sensitivities that ARE racially issued.

Like I said, I know it wouldn't be an issue for me; however I do think that people should be able to have the choice should they want it...this choice of course shouldn't come easily: you might get chosen for a child sooner should you accept a child of any race.

Let me start by saying that I absolutely despise the term "race" when referring to people. Humans and whales are different races. That being said, my husband and I are the proud adoptive parents of twin boys. Their heritage is African-American, Honduran, Italian and Spanish. Yes, they are ridiculously gorgeous. They are also darker than my husband and me. We don't care, but we are not so foolish as to believe others won't. For that reason, we have joined organizations like Mocha Moms, chosen to live in culturally diverse neighborhoods, etc. We know, through the experiences of friends, some of the prejudices they will likely face. We are as prepared as we can be, and I know we will still be absolutely floored the day something happens. And when that day comes, I will ask my friends for their advice and support. Hopefully before I've gone completely homicidal on the idiot who insulted a child of mine.

So, regarding the law? I think it is foolish to pretend that skin tone does not matter in this country. On the other hand, I can think of SOOOOO many ways a law like this could be abused. Why not provide counseling or classes for people who are willing to adopt or foster children of different ethnicities? And maybe even spend some of that money to provide the same for the children too. A mixed family may not be a perfect answer in this society, but one filled with love is still going to be better than being stuck in the system until you age out at 18 (but that's a topic for another post).

As an adoptive parent in a multiracial family, when I saw the headline crawl on a cable news channel saying something to the effect "Groups say black children ill-served by 'colorblind' approach to adoption" I was ready to jump to the defense of transracial adoption. However, after reading what the report really said and recommended, I have to agree their conclusions.

The report doesn't say white people shouldn't adopt black children. What the report says that when black children are adopted out of foster care, by white families who haven't had any training on the issues their children will face in our society, the kids have a more difficult time than children adopted into families and communities who share their ethnicity. The report also makes some recommendations on increasing minority adoptive candidates.

I'm all for helping parents learn how they might best nurture, protect and prepare their to live in our still less than color blind, still imperfect society. So, if the foster care system can encourage that though training, counseling or education I'm all for it.

I believe my children are closer to the mountaintop of Dr. King's "I have a dream speech" than most people in our country. But I know the more we learn about each other and the more people who are able to recognize the challenges and injustices people in our country and communities still suffer, the more people who will join my kids on top of Dr. King's mountain.

I was listening to Adam Pertman, executive Director of the Adoption Institute, on NPR's Talk of the Nation. And he was saying we need to consider race as a factor when considering adoption because we as a nation have not reached the point of being color blind... well, with that attitude we never will.

Does that mean we should ignore the very real differences between different ethnicities and cultures? No, of course not. But being a parent to any child means learning about that child's individual quirks and traits and learning to love and accept them. If an adoptive parent fails at this, it's because they were bad parents, not because of what color or what part of the world they're from.

Of course it matters. I know people who adopt black children in hopes of having a great basketball player. They adopt chinese for their math skills, and jews to become bankers. Look at it as an investment.

That is ridiculous, Gason. You KNOW people who have done this? Three different sets of parents that you know have gone through the horrific mountain of paperwork not to mention the horrific expense to adopt a minority child because of some stereotypical benefit that child might have at basketball, math, or banking? Either meet new people or stop exaggerating.Your acquaintances give adoptive parents a bad name.

I parent a multi-racial family, and I love my adopted daughter like my birth children. However, when a person is adopting a child, they may be faced with a variety of other special needs that do not relate to race- abandonment, physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, physical handicaps, language barriers, etc. It's only fair to give a prospective parent as much info as possible about the child and the issues they might be facing.As someone else pointed out, there are care issues involved as well as discrimination issues. So a parent must be educated on many levels before they take on such an important responsibility.Witholding info is no way to educate.